Sleeping Troubles and Weight Gain: a Few Symptoms of Pregnancy

If you find yourself extremely exhausted with weight fluctuations, you may be in the first trimester of a pregnancy. Pregnancy is responsible for many changes in a woman's body, but many find that the most noticeable at first are tiredness and weight fluctuations.

Sleep

The sleep of a pregnant woman is unpredictable. In the beginning, you may feel like you can't get enough, while in the end, you pray for just one straight hour of uninterrupted sleep. The reason for the pregnant woman's body feeling so tired at first is the simple fact that the body is doing a lot, and it just needs sleep. Hormone levels surge, and our pregnant bodies are providing the vitamins and nutrients to do very important tasks such as making brain and spinal tissue, bone, and all sorts of other vital parts for our babies. This can wear a person out. The baby is needing (and taking) much of what you eat because it is needed for its development.

At the beginning of a pregnancy, if possible, when you are tired, sleep. Your body wants you to rest for a reason. You shouldn't over-do work, play, or exercise. Listen carefully to your body, and try to do what it tells you.

At the end of a pregnancy, try not to take huge naps during the day. Even though you are tired from not sleeping through the night, don't give into the temptation to take that three hour nap when five o'clock rolls around. Instead, so something like go for a walk or any other energy-expensive (low impact) activity. This way, you may get so tired that your body has no choice but to sleep through the night.

Weight Gain

The amount of weight gained by pregnant women varies a whole lot. You may feel like you are eating healthy and exercising about as much as you should, yet still gaining very large amounts of weight. This is fine. Most women gain A LOT of weight during the gestation of their first child. The doctors usually tell you to gain about 25, but don't feel bad when the scale seems to be tilting past that 50 lb weight gain spot.

Doctors will recommend that an underweight woman gain 25-40 pounds, an average weight woman gain 25 pounds, and an over weight woman gain 15-25 pounds. The fact is, however, your body is going to gain as much weight as it is comfortable with. Your body needs more fat so that it can be used for breastfeeding. Especially if you are going to breastfeed, the natural weight gain of your body should not concern you.